Friday, 10 December 2010

Finally another painting to show you! This is an image that just came to me complete (as they sometimes do), and there is more to it than meets the eye. I know - it's a terrible pun. Although this is ostensibly a painting of an tawny owl peeping out between some autumnal oak branches, it is, in fact, yet another painting of the Tree of Life. Only it's a very little one seen in the owl's eye. So - what does the owl know? He knows that even though the leaves are about to fall and winter is coming, spring will follow and soon everything will be renewed. The Tree in his gaze is in full leaf. He also knows that the Tree of Life is not only something that we are all part of, but something within us, at the centre of our being. So he sees the Tree within and all the hope it brings.

The words around the border read:

Beloved, gaze in thine own heart,

The Holy Tree is growing there,

From Joy the holy branches start,

And all the trembling flowers they bear.

- W.B. Yeats.

This comes from a favourite poem of mine. You can find the full words here, or, if you like, hear the words beautifully set to music and sung by Loreena McKennitt on Youtube.

Limited edition giclee prints of The Owl Knows (made by my myself and I'm pretty fussy with the results) are now available on my website at Galley Hill Art.